Sleep inducer



May 19, 1942.

s. K. GREENWOOD SLEEP INDUCER Filed April 22, 1.941

Ben; 16. Greenwood.

Patented May 19, 1942 SLEEP INDUCER Benjamin K. Greenwood, Pueblo, Cola, assignor to Benjamin F. Koperlik Application April 22, 1941, Serial No. 389,821

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-36) This invention relates to an improved sleep inducer.

It is believed that the old panacea for inducing sleep, popularly termed as counting sheep, is well known. visualize sheep jumping over a fence or other barrier, one after another, and counting the sheep as they go over. As a matter of fact, the repetition of the mental picture and the monotony of counting frequently does induce sleep, or so it is claimed by many. However, as will be appreciated, the effort is all mental and any fatigue produced is also wholly mental. In the present instance, it is envisioned to coordinate a muscular effort with the mental effort so that the action visualized in the mind will be synchronized with and, to all intents and purposes, carried out by the muscular efiort. Thus, the mind will be deterred, by the muscular effort, from wandering from the task assigned While the monotony of the muscular effort and any muscular fatigue produced will supplement the mental fatigue toinduce sleep.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device which may be held in one hand and operated by the other hand to Usually the procedure is toto physical conditions so much but to an activity of the mind on say, a single subject of worry or, more often, on a number of diversified subjects or details which at the very opportunity of sleep become so intrusive and poignant. A deliberate preparation with the avowed intention of quickly going to sleep seems to have little to do with the matter, as do also deliberately created conditions of darkness, or light, or ventireproduce, in the mental concept, the physical reality of sheep jumping over a fence or other barrier in monotonous succession in time with the mental counting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which, preferably, will embody a simulation of a sheep as well as a representation of a fence, both of which may, of course, be objectified in the mind as a physical actuality, and wherein the sheep may be moved to jump over the fence, to all intents and purposes.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a device which will be simple in construction, which may be cheaply manufactured, and which, when discarded as a person falls asleep, may remain on the bed covers without becoming an extraneous object of weight or annoyance such as would wake or cause discomfortto the sleeper.

Other and incidental objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following description, and in thedrawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved device.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

As will be appreciated, the results here desired to be attained are largely psychological. An inability to go to sleep is quite often due not lation, or covers or quiet. The secret of the matter seems to lie largely, when consciously trying 'to go to sleep, in occupying the mind with a single subject, which procedure will automatically exclude other subjects, and in making the subject monotonous to cause mental fatigue. As

previously indicated, it has been discovered that to synchronize some simple muscular repetition with the mental repetition and visually identified graphically with the mental picture of repetition, greatly assists inthe objective sought.

In carrying the invention into effect, I employ a preferably circular base I0, and projecting from the base at diametric point are tabs II and I2 of approved length which form handles.

As will be appreciated, the base and its integralv tabs may be stamped as a single unit from suitable cardboard or other approved material and provides a readily portable, fiat body which may be conveniently carried in the pocket of a dressing gown or pajamas, for instance,

If so desired, the base Ill may be provided with any approved pastoral scene or may be otherwise ornamented to enhance the attractiveness thereof, as indicated at l3. However, I preferably provide upon the base a representation of a fence or other barrier, as indicated at 14. The fence and pastoral scene may, of course, be printed upon the base or otherwise imposed thereon.

Pivoted upon the base, centrally thereof, is a revoluble member preferably in the form of a simulation of a. sheep I5. The sheep 15 may be stamped from cardboard or other material like Extending through hand. Conversely, a left-handed person willgrasp the handle I2 with the right hand, insert the index finger of the left hand in the opening l8 of the sheep l and revolve vthe sheep with the left hand. Thus, the device is adapted for useeither by a right-handed or left-handed person. However, the device may. of course, be laid on the bed covers, if so desired, and operated with either one hand or the other, depending upon whether a person is lying on .the right side or the left side, irrespective of whether the operator is right-handed or left-handed.

As will be perceived, familiarity with the device will provide a more realistic visualization of a succession of sheep jumping over a fence, as contrasted with mere fancy, and as the sheep I5 is revolved with the finger to cross the fence I, each revolution may be mentally counted, Thus, muscular effort will be coordinated and synchronized with mental concentration to induce sleep.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:.

1. A. miniature device for simulating the sequence of sheep jumping over a fence and coordinating a synchronized repetitious muscular effort therewith including a single fiat diskshaped base of a size to be received within the pocket of a nightgown and provided at diametric points with integral radial tabs forming handles whereby either one handle or the other may be grasped by a right-handed or left-handed person for holdingthe device in the hand, the base being provided thereon with the representation of a fence, and a member revoluble upon the base and embodying the simulation of a sheep pivoted i near the rump thereof to the base centrally'v; thereof and provided near the base of-the neck with an opening to receive a finger of the hand not holding the base by one of said handles for revolving the sheep with said finger to cross the fence as a succession of crossings are counted mentallya 2. A device for simulating the sequence of a pictured mental repetition of physical action and coordinating a synchronized repetitious muscular eifort therewith including a flat circular base provided at diametric points on its periphery with integral axially aligned radial tabs lying in the plane of the base and forming handles, the base being provided at one side thereof with the representation of a physical barrier to be crossed, a fiat unitary member pivoted to the base centrally thereof and embodying the simulation of a physical character rotatable upon the base in .parallel relation thereto, said character embodying a head extending close to the periphery of the base and a neck having an opening therein to receive the tip of the finger, whereby the handles may be selectively grasped in one hand at a point removed from the periphery of the base to avoid blocking the movement of the head of the character as the character is rotated and the tip of the finger of the other hand engaged in said opening and moved in a circle for rotating the character upon the base to simulate the physical action of jumping over and crossing said barrier as a succession of crossings vare counted mentally in time with the movement of the tip of the finger in said circle, and a pivot pin connecting the character with the base and located in the diameter of the base axially of said handles to facilitate holding of the device stationary by either handle against tilting thrust on the base above and below said diameter by the finger rotating, said character.

BENJAMIN K. GREENWOOD. 

